


a time to eat

by amfiguree



Category: Inception (2010)
Genre: Comment Fic, M/M, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-14
Updated: 2014-01-14
Packaged: 2018-01-08 17:27:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 864
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1135426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amfiguree/pseuds/amfiguree
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Just Cobb and Arthur being adorable, and having fun.</p>
            </blockquote>





	a time to eat

**Author's Note:**

> Written for [this prompt](http://inception-kink.livejournal.com/4946.html?thread=6556242#t6556242) on the inception kink meme on livejournal.

it's been a couple of really, _really_ long nights when yusuf jerks awake at the studio to the smell of freshly-brewing coffee. arthur's standing at their makeshift kitchenette, three piece suit pressed perfectly in place ( _of course_ , yusuf thinks, almost enviously), busying himself with sugar and cream.  
  
arthur's humming under his breath, quiet and brisk, and it takes yusuf a second to place the opening verse of _good morning baltimore_. he stifles a groan; oh god, arthur's one of _those people_. yusuf considers attempting to go back to sleep, but the microwave hums into life, and he sighs. "good morning," he says, to arthur's back.  
  
the humming stops. "good morning," arthur says, with a brief glance over his shoulder. "long night?"  
  
"unfortunately, chemistry isn't quite as simple as i make it look," yusuf sighs.   
  
"grab yourself a fresh cup of coffee," arthur offers, as he pours his into a mug. "cobb gets some pretty strong stuff."  
  
there is clearly enough in the pot for another cup, and yusuf says, hopefully, "would you mind if i--"  
  
"what?" arthur says, and yusuf's hopes vanish as he watches arthur tip the remaining caffeine into a second mug. "oh, sorry, yusuf. i only brewed enough for two."  
  
the timer on the microwave goes off, and arthur tips his head apologetically before picking up the now-warm bagel and exiting the room, his coffee cups balanced precisely in the crook of one arm in a move clearly born out of experience.  
  
yusuf sighs again, and wrestles against inertia for a long while. finally, though, the thought of coffee triumphs, and yusuf shuffles to his feet.  
  
cobb strides in before he even makes it to the kitchen counter, arthur on his heels. "twenty-seven seconds, dom," he's saying, clearly put-out, as he jabs at a couple of buttons on the microwave. "you can check for yourself if you think that i'd mess something like that up when i've been warming your breakfast for _years_ \--"  
  
yusuf clears his throat.  
  
cobb and arthur both still, like they've only just realized they're not alone in the room. "yusuf," cobb nods, after a long, awkward pause.  
  
"cobb," yusuf echoes. he feels ridiculous.  
  
cobb clears his throat. "we were just leaving," he says; it's almost sheepish. arthur doesn't protest, but they've barely made it out the door before yusuf hears cobb add, in a near-whisper, "i didn't say i wanted to check the goddamn microwave, arthur--" before his voice trails off down the hall.  
  
saito steps inside a second later. he looks just as confused as yusuf feels. "cobb and arthur--" he begins.  
  
"don't get me started," yusuf mutters.  
  
"what was that all about?"  
  
yusuf shrugs as he rinses the coffee pot, and checks the shelves for a new filter. "their breakfast in bed must not have gone so well. coffee?"  
  
*  
  
it's another busy day, and ariadne's still working on the plans for the third level hours after her intended lunch time.   
  
arthur's in the cubicle next to hers, nothing between them but a paper-thin partition. it makes it incredibly hard to miss when he starts humming.  
  
ariadne pauses on the sketch of the vault to the hospital bed, and looks up just as cobb walks past their table. he slows as he passes arthur's desk, and she can't be sure, but it looks like his mouth quirks for a fraction of a second. "oliver?" he says. "really? now i'm going to be thinking about hot sausage and mustard all day."  
  
"you deserve it, slavedriver," arthur says.  
  
ariadne stares.  
  
across the room, yusuf and saito go back to their coffee.  
  
*

it's past 9 by the time eames is done for the day, and he's done a bloody good job of it, too; his newly-acquired accent is impeccable. yusuf and saito are long gone, and at her desk, ariadne is straightening her things.  
  
arthur, on the other hand, is still bent over his table, focusing on some ridiculous detail or another, and eames feels a sympathetic twinge in his back just looking at him.   
  
"all right," cobb says, sweeping suddenly into the room. "wrap it up, arthur. you're done here."  
  
"i'm not even close." arthur says. he doesn't even look up. _of course_. "goodnight, cobb."  
  
"you're done," cobb repeats, more firmly. "and we're going to get some food."  
  
"cobb--" arthur says, and eames is sorely tempted to roll his eyes. they very much remind him of (pre-)school children fighting over a favored toy.  
  
cobb doesn't budge. "it's pack or poppins, arthur," he says, grimly, and folds his arms. "you know i'll do it."  
  
"for god's sake, dom," arthur snaps, but he's standing anyway, reaching for his briefcase, and there's a smug set to cobb's shoulders that eames can keenly appreciate. "we're getting chinese."  
  
"and a bag full of--"  
  
"if you say sugar, so help me, dom--"  
  
"fortune cookies--"  
  
"shut up, asshole."  
  
and then they're gone.  
  
ariadne's still staring at arthur's newly vacated workspace in utter disbelief when eames approaches her. "well, they're practically dating," she says, and has to stop to shake her head. "why aren't they fucking each other, again?"  
  
"darling," eames smirks. "arthur would never skip the main course just to get to the dessert."


End file.
